Beer-cooling device.



RICHARD FINOKEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BEER-COOLING. DEVICE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct.v 16, 1906.

Application led September 14, 1905. Serial No. 278,382.

To all whom, it may concern/ Be it known that I, RICHARD FINCKEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the countyof San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Beer-Cooling Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to means for keeping keg-beer cool.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter more fully described and Claimed, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line X X' of Fig. l.showing modifications of my invention. Fig. 5 is an end view of anordinary faucet-valve. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the end of thefaucet. j

A represents a beer-faucet of ordinary construction, except that it hasa reduced portion a for the purpose hereinafter stated. These faucetsare usually about fifteen inches long, and the mechanism for supportingthe end of the faucet and which carries the valve has heretofore beenvery short, only an inch or two in length, just so as to pass throughthe head of the keg. This construction did not offer sufficient supportfor the faucet to allow anything to be hung or supported on the faucet.In attaching al beer-cooler of the construction shown in my Patent N o.7 88,795,

issued to me May 2, 1905, it is essential that the faucet be surroundedby the cooler. In consequence more or less strain is put on the faucet,which is liable to cause a leak if not more serious damage. Besides, thebeer that is actually chilled is only that contained i1nmediately in thebody of the faucet.l If there is a heavy demand on the keg, there ishardly time for lthe liquid to become sufficiently chilled while flowingthrough the faucet, since for various reasons itis impractical to make acooler deep enough to envelop these long faucets their entire length.These faucets are usually provided with a key in the end, as shown at 3,and a bayonet-locking device, as 4, to t a corresponding socket-- piecewhich is screwed into the keg. As before stated, however, the faucetdoes not penetrate more than an inch or so into the keg, and by far thegreater length of the faucet is outside the keg and entirely unsup-Figs. 3 and 4 are sectionsv ported. I have devised a means whereby toyless of the faucet outside the keg, to inclose the faucet with achilling medium, and to circulate this medium around that portion of thefaucet within the keg. For this purpose I employ a sleeve, as 5, whichis siX or eight inches, more or' less, in length and of a boresufficient to easily accommodate the faucet A. The exterior of thesleeve is threaded to permit it to be received into a hole in the headof a beer keg or barrel when properly engaged by a Spanner-wrench orother suitable tool. The inner end of the sleeve is supplied with theusual ports 6, therotatable valve 7, having the stem 8, and with thegrooves 9, When the faucet is inserted into the sleeve and theprojections 4 engaged bayonet-lock fashion with the grooves 9 and thekey 3 engaged with the stem 8 and the faucet turned, the valve 7 isopened to allow the contents of the keg to pass into the faucet, thewithdrawals from the keg being controlled by the cock of the faucet.

The reduced portion a of the faucet when the latter is in position inthe sleeve is contained entirely within the sleeve, and the adjacent endof the enlargement of the faucet just slips into the sleeve and has areasonablyJ snug fit to provide a suitable support for the middle of thefaucet.

Between the reduced portion a of the faucet and the inside of the sleevean annular space 10 is formed, which extends into and is surrounded by aconsiderable body of beer in the keg. This space forms a cooling-jacketwhen filled with ice-water or other cooling, medium, and the coldpenetrates not only wardly to the liquid in the faucet, but outward tothe beer in the keg or barrel.

l1 represents a cooler Whichis adapted to fit snug against the head B ofthe keg and to be secured thereto by any suitable .means If desired, thecooler.` may be .jacketed and the jacket-space filled with suitablenonconducting material, as charcoal, sawdust, cork, &c.

The container diers from that of mypatent mentioned in that the presentone is designed to be secured to the keg first. Then the faucet isinserted through a cylinder portion 12, which is fixed in theheads ofthe cooler and open at the ends and is adapted to register when thecooler is in position on the keg with the sleeve 5, the latter havingpreviously been screwed into the keg.

The cylinder part 12 is slotted, as at 13, or otherwise open to theinterior of the cooler, so that the .water from the melting ice can passinto the part 12 and surround the faucet when the latter is in position.To prevent leak around the outer end of the faucet, the adj a'cent sideofthe cylinder 12 has the internally-projecting annular packing-ring 14of soft rubber or the like. This packing-ring is held in an annulargroove or channel and has such a snug fit within this groove when comfpressed with the faucet as .to prevent any leak at that point.

Suitably interposed between the end of sleeve 5 and the back of thecollararound the rear end of the cylinder 12 is a packing-ring 15, andthe cooler is so attached to the keg and the adjustments are such thatno leak will occur at this point, although the space 10 and the interiorof the cooler will be in communication. If desired, the packing 15 maybe carried permanently by .the cooler and adapted to seat in an annulargroove 16 in the end of the sleeve 5.

Water from the cooler may be drawn off from time to time through thecock 17. Ice is admitted to the cooler through an opening at the top,closed by the lid or cover 18.

In operation the sleeve 5 is first screwed into a keg clear up to itshead. The cooler 11 is then attached to the keg, with the opening forthe faucet in the cooler registering with the bore of the sleeve and thepacking l15 in place to form a tight joint between the parts. The faucetis then inserted through the cooler and into the sleeve, locked into thelatter, and the valve 7 opened. Only enough of the faucet need projectbeyond the cooler to allow the cock to be turned. When the cooler isfilled with ice and the ice has melted a little, the entire length ofthe faucet will be surrounded by ice-water, and the ice-water columnwill extend into the body of beer in the keg. The cold will penetrate inall directions, so that the beer in the keg as well as that in andpassing through the faucet will be chilled. The result is that with thiscontrivance one glass after another of sharp cold beer can be drawn.

Not only is the cold transmitted backward into the keg by thewater-jacket, but the beer in the faucet and the metal of the faucetconstit'ute conductors, and even in the absence of the acket thetendency is for the beer in the keg to be chilled. However, theconstruction of an internal water-jacket as described is preferred.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification in which the cooler 11a has animperforate cylindrical extension 12a of the part 12 to ex tend into thesleeve 5 and to receive and surround the faucet. A packing 15, carriedby the innermost end of the extension 12a, and a :similanpacking 14 atthe front of the cooler prevent any leak from the cooler. At the sametime the whole length of the faucet is surrounded by a body ofice-water. The sleeve 5 of Fig. 1 and the sleeve 5 of Fig. 3 constitutewhat is, in effect, an extension of the container, said extension inboth instances projecting into the keg and for a substantial distanceinto the liquid contents thereof.

In Fig. 4 is shown still another modification of the invention in whicha faucet of regular construction is employed, except that the outsidejacket 12C, which incloses the in ner tube of the faucet, is perforated,as at 13, in that portion which is to be surrounded by the cooler 11b.The latter has simply two openings at front and rear in axial line withthe sleeve when the cooler is on the keg and has the packing-rings 14a14h. The faucet is inserted through these openings in the cooler andinto the sleeve and suitably locked in place, and the packing-ringsembrace the jacket on either side of the perforations to prevent anyleak from the cooler around the faucet. The cold water, however,entering the perforations envelops the inside tube of the faucet for itsentire length.

It is possible that various other modifications in my invention may bemade without departing from the principle thereof, and I do not wish tobe understood as limiting myself to the specific construction as hereinshown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a keg, of a valved sleeve screwing into the kegand projecting a substantial distance into the body of liquid within thekeg, a faucet fitting the sleeve so as to leave a space between saidfaucet and sleeve, and having suitable locking means therewith, andprovided with devices for operating the valve in the sleeve, andacontainer for a suitable refrigerant inclosing the faucet exterior tothe sleeve, said sleeve having a passage which is in open communicationwith the container whereby the cooling medium in the container maypenetrate into the portion of the sleeve within the keg.

2. The combination with a keg, of a valved sleeve screwing into the kegand projecting a substantial distance into the body of liquid within thekeg, a faucet fitting the sleeve so as to leave a space between saidfaucet and sleeve, and having suitable locking means therewith andprovided with devices for operating the valve in the sleeve, a containerfor a suitable refrigerant inclosing the faucet exterior to the sleeve,said container having openings at the front and back through which thefaucet is inserted, means to prevent leak from the container around thefau- IOO IIO

cet, the interior of the container and the sp ace within the sleeve andaround the faucet being in communication whereby the cooling medium inthe container may penetrate into the portion of the sleeve within thekeg.

3, The combination with a keg, of a container for a refrigerant and atubular extene sion from said container extending into the keg and for asubstantial distance into the liquid contents thereof, a faucet passingthrough the container and having a portion extending substantiallythrough the eXtension thereof and of less diameter than said extensionwhereby the refrigerant circulates around the extended portion of thefaucet within said container eXtensionI` a valve at the inner end of thecontainer extension to control the admission of liquid to the faucet,and means for operating the valve.

4. A beer-cooling device comprising an eX- teriorly-threaded sleevehaving a valve at its inner end, a faucet fitting the sleeve so as toleave a space between said faucet and sleeve and provided with means tooperate the valve and to lock the faucet in the sleeve, a container fora refrigerant to encircle the eX- posed portion of the faucet, saidcontainer having a slotted lower portion to enable the cooling liquid tocirculate between the con.- tainer and faucet and in the sp ace withinthe sleeve around the faucet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

RICHARD FIN CKEN. Witnesses S. H. NoURsE, HENRY P. TRIooU.

